Biography

Frances Bourliot served on the Court of Appeals for the Fourteenth District of Texas from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2024. She was the first Asian-American woman elected to an intermediate appellate court in Texas and first public defender elected to the Fourteenth Court of Appeals.

Ms. Bourliot began her legal career as a staff attorney with the Texas Defender Service and the Texas Innocence Network, representing  indigent prisoners and death row inmates. After that she worked in the Harris County Public Defender’s Office, representing defendants—including juveniles—who could not afford to hire an attorney.  She was also an Adjunct Faculty Member at the University of Houston Law Center for several years overseeing the Death Penalty Clinic and co-teaching Innocence Investigations. She then joined the Appellate Division of the Harris County Public Defender’s Office when it opened in 2011 and continued to work as an Assistant Public Defender in the appellate, mental health, and felony trial divisions until 2017 when she started her own practice. She joined a plaintiff’s law firm in 2018 and represented clients in personal injury, medical malpractice, and appellate matters. She has taught CLEs on Batson challenges, jury charge issues, mitigation, and mental health related topics.

Ms. Bourliot received her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University. She is an active member of the Houston Bar Association. She has co-chaired the Law Library Committee and the Teach Texas Committee and has twice won a president's award for her service.